Method of seismic signal source placement for seismic acquisition system

Abstract

A standard acquisition system is selected, the system comprising seismic signal sources disposed on an excitation surface and seismic signal receivers disposed on an acquisition surface, and specifying a fold number. A bin size is selected for a reflecting boundary, and the reflecting boundary is broken down into bins with the selected size. Ray tracing from each seismic signal receiver to each bin at the reflecting boundary and elongating of a reflected ray from the reflecting boundary to the acquisition surface are performed by computer simulation. A density of the seismic sources at the excitation surface is calculated using a computer program. Then, based on the calculated seismic signal source density, the seismic sources are disposed at the excitation surface for the selected seismic acquisition system providing the specified fold number.

1 . A method for disposing seismic sources for a seismic acquisition system, comprising:
 selecting a standard acquisition system comprising seismic signal sources disposed at an excitation surface and seismic signal receivers disposed at an acquisition surface;   specifying a fold number;   selecting a bin size for a seismic reflecting boundary;   breaking the seismic reflecting boundary into bins having the selected bin size;   by a computer simulation carrying out ray tracing from each seismic signal receiver to each bin at the seismic reflecting boundary and continuing a reflected ray from the seismic reflecting boundary to the acquisition surface,   calculating a density of seismic sources at the excitation surface using a computer program, and   based on the calculated seismic source density, disposing the seismic signal sources at the excitation surface for the selected seismic acquisition system providing the specified fold number.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the acquisition surface is an earth surface. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the acquisition surface is a sea surface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the acquisition surface is disposed in a borehole. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the standard acquisition system is a system of seismic lines. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the standard acquisition system is a spiral system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein during ray tracing additional restrictions are imposed on ray trajectories. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the additional restrictions are restrictions on reflection angles of the rays from the reflecting boundary. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the additional restrictions are restrictions on positions of the seismic signal sources on the acquisition surface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the additional restrictions are advantages of certain seismic signal source positions over other positions.